Autumn Holidays

We had a very quiet family focused break from school and work - with a lot of time to grieve and also rest as we all managed to get quite ill.  The highlight for me was a trip for a night to the Pyrenees Mountains.

 

 This is the release of doves on the day we celebrated our special Granny's life.  We are thankful for the peace and joy she gave us all.  We miss her so much everyday.

In contrast to this is my children at the Shadbolts, when we took a couple hours out to be in the bush.  For me I need nature around me to get deep inside.  But my children took the opportunity to turn into bike bandits.

 

Grandma and Q - love his choice of cutlery!  Perfect for not eating too much Easter lunch to make sure there is plenty of room for the afternoon Easter egg hunt.

The moment before the hunt...

The girls with Easter clips I made - they were so good to wear them on the day - my heart was singing!  Below you will find more singing with some special friends who came to visit us on Easter Monday. Go Boys!

Good Friday evening was very chilly and we had a very relaxing time as a family in the Pyrenees - a time to reflect and rest.  This simply has been an exhausting and sad time in our family.  But perhaps this picture might just show you just how relaxing this time was!

A sleep over in a magical garden

This is the garden of a very special friend of mine - who despite of lack of contact since moving on from our uni lives - we are able to fall in and out of each others worlds quite easily. My children and myself just loved her home and garden - we had a fantastic sleep over and play.

Epic Canoe Trip on Loddon River

The second day of these school holidays I booked myself (being the adventurous mummy) and my son for a canoe trip on the Loddon River. I thought it would be fun and a great opportunity not only for some good wholesome one on one time with my son, but to get into the spirit of canoeing as we plan to purchase a family canoe, when we trade in the car.

It was advertised as a two hour paddle, however leaving at 10am and arriving back at 3pm that afternoon I certainly had very sore elbows and was amazed at my deep capacity for endurance - as this is what the poorly planned trip our host provided turned into.

Thankfully Kd and I were separated close to the start of the adventure as he used his paddle to splash me and in my fumbling to work out how to paddle the darn canoe he would yell out "We're DEAD. We're DEAD!"

Should I have the opportunity again I would definitely go - it was magic being on the Loddon River so full of water, the trees, the birds and the promises that you made yourself as you approached each bend in the river.

Here is the canoe hero




This was our canoe


Our fellow adventurers

The O'Keith Trail

Last Sunday we took a ride along the O'Keith Trail - I have been in Bendigo for ten years and can't believe I haven't done this before! You can down load a map of this trail from the link above.

It runs along an old train track and has plenty of historical landmarks and relics to make the trip into a discovery adventure.



(Hj bandaid from a previous skateboarding accident)

there is a family bike riding day along the trail this Sunday - but it is 50kms - Kd not quite up to it yet (not sure I am either - but will be posting about our enduring canoeing trip earlier this week soon!)

Four Days OUT THERE

Wishing that the school holidays haven't come to an end Kd stayed home from school today - he was tired and a little run down - we all needed a little bit more jammie time together. We really did pack in a lot of activity over the school holidays and having Easter in the middle of it made it even busier.

It was bliss to spend four days in the bush with The Colonial Way, camping and grandly moving from site to site with a Clydesdale horse - a very new and slowing down experience for all of us. I REALLY needed to get out of town and get into the landscape and this trip did exactly that. I had planned for a six night adventure - but right before we left we inherited gastro and in lots of ways I am glad it was only three nights as travelling with young kids and a dog in a new camping setting can prove more challenging that relaxing. J and I have started making plans for regular camping trips around our home - having lots of new free, isolated camp locations revealed to us.


This is our darling Murdoch who hauled our caravan around and all of our stuff - about a tonne in all!!!

Inside the van - very tight but manageable - can't imagine what it would be like with 3 kids in their or 5 adults as it sleeps 5.

The view from outside the caravan while on the road - we were travelling slow enough to jump in and out of the van - I spent a great deal of time walking - maybe up to 12ks a day as our dog misbehaved dreadfully around Murdoch.


Caring for Murdoch included lots of stops for rests, eating and drinking water - he just loved munching on apples.


Camp fires were a hit - revealing the inner fire bug of a certain someone


How is this for beauty?
Yep lots of fun and games

The trip for me was also about growing the love of the out doors and isolation in my children - an experience that just doesnt happen in suburbia. Kd was first afraid of the thought of camping as we would be the only ones there - (while I really can't think of anything better than having no-one around!) They both really enjoyed the trip and agree that more camping is on the agenda.

We visited the place where the sky is everywhere

Where I grew up the sky was large and endless and I have an ongoing romantic longing to return there.

This week during the school holidays, thanks to the magic of facebook and the generosity of a farming family we visited a diary farm not far from the land were I grew up. It was lovely to reconnect with an old school friend and enjoy her family and farming achievements with her husband. They most certainly have a farm to be admired. Although in the following shots there aren't any cows (don't ask me why!) their cows are so gentle, quiet and happy milkers.

School Holiday BLING

As you can see new holiday art work inside and outside the home...

Notice anything in my son's pocket?


Art work making as apart of the Bendigo Art Gallery Asia Pacific Triennial kid's touring program - was really good and well put together artistically for kiddies.
Kd can't get enought of the BMX bike track and the skate park at the moment.

School Holidays are over

Gee I have just cherished the last two weeks - no work, no school and lots of rain.

I just love hanging out with my kids and I really can not understand why children are required to go to school 5 days a week.

Any how we did lots together (not just watching TV and staying in our jammies all day)

Loads of free activities around town including a mini beasts event at our library.

Friends around to play, a series of birthday parties for Kd, lots of making and creating.

Not to forget a special trip to Macca's - greatnan's shout - wish I took a photo of that afternoon.